Tranmere’s ambitions of making the National League play-offs depend not only on the performance of the players over the final three games but also the performance of the supporters, declares chairman Mark Palios.

The former Rovers midfielder has thrown down a challenge to fans at Prenton Park to give the team unconditional support as they strive to take the promotion challenge into extra time.

Tranmere can be confident of securing a top five finish if they win all three of their remaining games, starting with Saturday’s visit from Wrexham.

But two of those three games will be at Prenton Park, where Rovers’ form is inconsistent and elements of supporters have often vented their displeasure in the form of booing and verbal abuse of the team.

Palios said: “Getting to the play-offs is in our own hands, and by that I mean the team and the supporters.

“We are asking supporters to back us through 90 minutes, irrespective of how the game is going. If the game is going against us, we need our supporters even more.”

Palios believes there is a link between the volatile behaviour of some fans at Prenton Park and Tranmere’s poor home form. They have lost eight times at Prenton Park in the league campaign, compared to just three defeats on the road.

Palios said: “Our supporters have been terrific in terms of sticking with us this season. We are averaging 5,000 for home games, after the misery of relegation in the previous two seasons.

“But we need those supporters to be helping the team, not getting on their backs when games are not going well, because that can just make things worse.

“I can pinpoint when the fans are needed. It’s when we go a goal down.

“I’m not worried about the team’s ability to handle a setback. I’ve looked at our statistics and they show that if our league position was based on the half-time scores in our games, we would be 11th in the table rather than fifth.

“We have team who are stronger in the second half of games.”

Palios added: “As a player I know what a big supportive crowd can do for a team: they can be inspirational.

“I can remember back in 1987, when we won the final game against Exeter to ensure we stayed in the Football League, the team did not play particularly well that night. The fans got us over the line.”

Wrexham’s visit is liable to generate the largest crowd of the season at Prenton Park.

Palios said: “The job on Saturday is the job of the team and the fans. It is in the hands of both.”

Palios’s view is backed up from within the dressing room by midfielder Jay Harris.

The 28-year-old Liverpudlian said: “We need the fans behind us now. We have seen at times this season that they can get on our backs when things don’t go the way we want them to.

“There have also been times this season when the fans were behind us and we battered opponents.

“Our crowd can create an atmosphere that is loud and intimidating the teams coming here. They can spur us on.”